How a social media detox has increased my happiness and confidence.
Like it or not, social media is a massive part of today’s world. Even if you’re not actively on social media, you’re still influenced by it. Between mainstream media, the news, and the people around you, its impact is unavoidable. But that doesn’t mean you have to fully engage with it or let it impact you, which is what I found when I unplugged.
Recently, I decided to sign out of all my social media for a while and take a detox. It was a combination of factors that led to this decision—too much doom scrolling, for one. On top of that, it felt like every other person was announcing a pregnancy. Which, as someone who is trying to conceive, brings a whole wave of conflicting emotions each time. I was also tired of comparing myself to people I didn’t even know, and I was tired of wasting time on something that wasn’t really making me happy. So I logged off.
And I’ll admit that I haven’t been perfect. I mean, I did pop on a couple of times to check things (like if Taylor Swift really was engaged). And this past week, between the murder of Charlie Kirk and the anniversary of 9/11, I felt myself slipping into old, bad habits and consuming way too much negative news on TikTok and Instagram. And as an Empath, it was heavy and stressful. So I signed back off. Because what I found when I unplugged was so much better.
For one, I stopped comparing myself so much to others. When I’m not constantly seeing what this person is doing or that person is wearing, or where this girl from college is vacationing, I don’t care as much. Unplugging has allowed me to be happier and more content with who I am and where I am. I’ve also found that I’m more productive when I’m not wasting so much time scrolling. This way, I have more time to actually do things, like blogging, truly resting, and other activities I enjoy for fun. I’m living more for me, and less for likes and comments.
I’ve also found some unexpected perks of unplugging. For instance, I also deleted my grocery shopping app in favor of going back to a good, old-fashioned paper list. I never realized how much my phone distracted me while grocery shopping before, but my trips to Publix have become so much quicker and more efficient!
I’m not telling you that you have to completely unplug. To be honest, I’m sure I’ll return to social media once I’m ready and in a better headspace – if nothing else, just to start trying to become famous enough to appear on Dancing With the Stars someday.
Even if you don’t completely unplug, I challenge you to limit your screentime. Audit who you follow. Ask yourself, do they make you feel better or worse about yourself? Do you even know them, or really like them? Protect your peace and unfollow as you feel necessary. Ultimately, what you find when you unplug may be different from what I found when I unplugged. However, I hope that you find it helpful and that it leads to more happiness and peace. Because at the end of the day, that’s what’s most important.